New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-05
TIE TEYEMENEHOUSE PROBLEM

d.
July Forum On Tenemcnt-Iioase Morality
ought to mako the people OF this city hang
down their leads with shame. For two facts
are brought out with startling clcarness in that
article: First that vast numbers OF people ID
this city are so crowded together in vile and
unhealthy tenements that, As TWO eminent clcr-
gymen have recently said, morality Is practi-
cally impossible ard secondly, that the TO
sponsibility for this state Of affairs rests upon
the shoulders OF the so-called better classes.
MANY Of the tencments In this city which arc
a shame and a scandal to our common humanity
are owned by men who call themselves respect
alb lie, who move in good society, and who are
members in good standing Of the Christian
church. They arc nevertheless content TO live
on the blood-moncy Of the poor wretches who
are compelled to exist in their dcath-traps and
apparently neither the law Of the land nor
public opinion has anything to say to them.
And it is a great mistake, AZ Father Hunting
ton shows, to suppose that the PEOPLE who live
in these foul purheus Of disease and death be-
long generally to the dcpraved and vicious
classes. In the very worst Of these tcncmcnts
in the most crowded quarters OF the East Side
are TO be found hard working men and women
who, as Father Huntington says, are lighting
at fearful odds TO keep themselves and their
children from tho moral and physical filth
and pollution around them. And there are
also to be found In all these tcnements large
numbers Of people who are not detcrminedly
yicious-men and women who would & ably do
right, but who lack the courage and the oppor-
UNITY TO rise above the evil around them Now
it is bad enough to keep those who are already
vicious in these prisons OF vice and squalor,
when under a better environment they might
be reformed but il is an absolute disgrace
to our boosted civilization that the good and
the upright as we'll as those who are trembling
on the verge Of vice should be condemned 10
such surroundings. Is IL strange that men and
women so situated often learn to listen with
complaccncy to tho criminal vaporings OF tho
Anarchist and that they come at last to look
upon society and the Church as their worst
enemies?
II is the nerest truism to say in the face OF all
this that something ought to be done. SO long
as people make that general remark it is safe
to say that nothing will be done. Individual
citizens and individual members of the church
must realize their personal responsibility in
stimulated ard educated the abuse will soon
DO rcmedied And just here it is proper to
say that Father Huntington Is setting an ex-
ample to the ministers of the Christian churches
which Is as noble as it Is needed. He has not
only consecratcd his life to the service OF tho
poor and the afflicted in the tenements Of the
East Side. but he has gone to live in one OF
these tencmcnts himself. Without ostcnta-
ton, without any sense OF doing these people
a great and unwonted favor. he goes among
them sharing their joys and sorrows and minis
tcring to them the consultations OF religion.
He and his associates in this work are there to
stay they are not there to make reputation
which will help them to get good parish, or
to reach after the honors and emoluments OF
their church Would 1t not be wen for all the
Christian denominations In this city to raise
up such men for this work Call them what
you will, priests, monks. missioners. exhorters.
rcvivalists, or simply Christian workers. tho
name is Of little consequence so long as they
are filed with the spirit Of the Founder Of
Christianity. A band Of such devoted
workers would do moro to convince the goddess
Of the truth Of Christianity than all the treat
ises on tho evidences Of Christianity that have
ever been written